Apple portrayed IBM as Orwellian ‘Big Brother’ 30 years ago

Apple’s new alliance with IBM represents a dramatic reversal from one of the most famous TV ads in history. In 1984, Apple portrayed Big Blue as an Orwellian “Big Brother,” and itself as IBM’s daring, heroic Silicon Valley challenger.

The ad, directed by Ridley Scott, features a dystopic future in which a Big Brother character is speaking to a group of zombie-like followers through a cinema screen. An unnamed heroine being chased by security forces then hurls a hammer at the image of Big Brother, shattering the screen. A voice then says: “On January 24, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ’1984.’ ”

The ad highlighted the intense rivalry between Apple and IBM in the then-fast-growing PC market.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs himself referred to Big Blue as a greedy Orwellian monster in a keynote speech.

“It is now 1984,” he said. “It appears IBM wants it all. Apple is perceived to be the only hope to offer IBM a run for its money. Dealers initially welcoming IBM with open arms now fear an IBM-dominated and -controlled future. They are increasingly turning back to Apple as the only force that can ensure their future freedom. IBM wants it all and is aiming its guns on its last obstacle to industry control: Apple. Will Big Blue dominate the entire computer industry? The entire information age? Was George Orwell right about 1984?”

Fast forward to 2014.

IBM is out of PCs, which has for years now been a shrinking market, and Big Blue is struggling to adapt to a changing tech landscape dominated by mobile and cloud computing. On the other hand, Apple is a major player in this new world, though it faces such challengers as Google and Amazon.

“In ’84, we were competitors. In 2014, I don’t think you can find two more complementary companies,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a joint Wall Street Journal interview with IBM CEO Virginia Rometty. “This is a really landmark deal.”

Longtime Apple watcher Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates said the new friendship isn’t surprising, though it’s striking given how the two giants once were fierce rivals. “Yep, you could play a lot of ironic notes if you wanted to,” he told MarketWatch.

“But they’ve been cooperating at some level for years,” he added. “IBM has been putting agents on iOS devices for enterprise since at least 2011. This not only formalizes that but gives IBM access that’s better than just the front door.”

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